From the MCRFB news archives: 1963
BROADWAY, THEATERS, ENTERTAINMENT PLACES SILENT ACROSS NATION
NEW YORK — The sudden and stunning events of Friday, November 22, and the aftermath of the assassination of President Kennedy in Dallas, left this city’s music and entertainment business virtually paralyzed and sorrowing.
Record shops, Broadway theaters, moving picture houses and night clubs closed for one, two or three days of mourning. Some disk dealers are known to have closed their shops in Brooklyn and Queens Friday afternoon after the President’s death was confirmed and did not reopen until Tuesday, November 26.
Weekend entertainment business and establishment losses were estimated at about 35 to 50 percent, but few store keepers and Broadway producers complained about the loss of business in the light of the tragic events.
Many record dealers reached this week were still recovering from the shock those four days, and they noticed a sudden upsurge in consumers buying of patriotic and religious-themed records. A number of requests were noted for recordings of the late President’s speeches. It is understood that at least two albums has been produced and are on the way (see separate story).
Dark Nights
The assassination caused the cancelling of all sorts of entertainment programs, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and on Monday, November 25. Broadway darkened its houses on two nights. At least 24 legitimate theaters cancelled performances on Friday night and then again on Monday night, the official day of mourning.
Out of town, three incoming shows canceled Monday night performances. Two of them are musicals, the highly-rated Noel Coward musical, “The Girl Who Came To Supper,” in Philadelphia and the Broadway play, “Hello Dolly,” starring Carroll Channing performing at the Fisher Theater in Detroit.
Those classical concerts that were held offered subdued musical performances. A jazz concert for the Student Non-Violent Co-Ordinating Committee at Carnegie Hall Saturday, November 23 became, at least in part, a memorial concert for the late President.
Subdued Tone
Disk Jockey Mort Gega and Lutheran minister Reverend John Gemsel, who shared emceeing chores for the shows, kept things on a fairly subdued level. Shelley Berman read a tribute to the late President he had written called “The Coatless Man.” Bruce Gordon, an officer in the organization that benefited from the concert, also spoke of the fallen leader.
Many concert performances were canceled and those that were not were altered dramatically in programattic fashion. The tone for almost all entertainment during the tragic weekend was exemplified by Mary Martin who spoke briefly before a matinee performance of “Jennie” Saturday, November 23. In what she called her first pre-curtain address to an audience, Miss Martin said: “We in show business are schooled in the discipline that ‘the show must go on.’ But, having seen the First Lady of our land, the new President and the new First Lady showing their courage and their sense of duty to carry on, we have all learned a great lesson. I cannot ask you to forget, but perhaps we can help each other for the next few hours.” END.
(Information and news source: Billboard; December 7, 1963).
